Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Lightning strikes 89 times in 24 hours

By John Maslin
Whanganui Chronicle·
3 Jun, 2015 07:02 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

STRIKE ONE: This transformer shows clear evidence of Tuesday night's lighting strike.
PHOTO/SUPPLIED 03062015WCSUPTRANSFORM
STRIKE ONE: This transformer shows clear evidence of Tuesday night's lighting strike. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 03062015WCSUPTRANSFORM

STRIKE ONE: This transformer shows clear evidence of Tuesday night's lighting strike. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 03062015WCSUPTRANSFORM

A lightning strike on Tuesday night took out the power supply to the Kai Iwi district north of Wanganui along with a transformer that delivers power to pumps providing water to the city.

It was one of 89 lightning strikes recorded in the Wanganui district in the 24 hours to 10am yesterday. And while most of those strikes happened out to sea, some occurred over land.

About 7pm on Tuesday one of those lightning boltsknocked out power to homes in the Kai Iwi area as well as the pumps working the three bores on Rangitatau East Rd. Power was cut for about three hours.

Dave Rudolph, a senior engineer officer at Wanganui District Council, said power was restored to the area about 11.30pm and pumps for number 1 and 2 bores were started and brought back on line.

"However, number 3 bore still had no power and on further investigation the main power pole had taken a lightning hit and this has tracked to the main transformer for number 3 bore," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Rudolph said Powerco isolated the pole as it was still live and removed fuses. He said the transformer would have to be replaced.

"Powerco has a transformer available and will be looking at starting on Monday next week. The work should be completed in four to five days."

The pump motor had been tested and appeared to be okay but more extensive tests were needed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Rudolph said water was still being supplied the two remaining bores as well as two other bores in the city.

"With the demand down we should be okay for water levels," he added.

Mr Rudolph said reservoir levels were likely to have recovered overnight.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Major North Island farming business appoints new boss

16 Jun 09:12 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Family escapes devastating house fire as community rallies support

16 Jun 06:08 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui East gains new GP clinic

16 Jun 06:00 PM

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Why Te Arawa's marae relay is becoming a community staple
New Zealand

Why Te Arawa's marae relay is becoming a community staple

17 Jun 01:24 AM
Unusual guest checks in at Virginia motel – a two-metre alligator
World

Unusual guest checks in at Virginia motel – a two-metre alligator

17 Jun 01:18 AM
Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues
Entertainment

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM
‘Acrid-smelling smoke’ wafts over central Auckland as crews battle supermarket fire
New Zealand

‘Acrid-smelling smoke’ wafts over central Auckland as crews battle supermarket fire

17 Jun 12:57 AM
Vaccine experts removed by Trump health chief sound the alarm
World

Vaccine experts removed by Trump health chief sound the alarm

17 Jun 12:55 AM

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Major North Island farming business appoints new boss

Major North Island farming business appoints new boss

16 Jun 09:12 PM

John Tatere starts work with Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation on July 28.

Family escapes devastating house fire as community rallies support

Family escapes devastating house fire as community rallies support

16 Jun 06:08 PM
Whanganui East gains new GP clinic

Whanganui East gains new GP clinic

16 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Opinion: The struggles of finding peace in a shared hot pool

Opinion: The struggles of finding peace in a shared hot pool

16 Jun 05:00 PM
Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka
sponsored

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search